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[Lilliejo]

I’ve just had some oestrogen blood tests done privately….  To have them discussed i have to pay for another consultation.. which at the moment I can’t.   I think my levels are low…

Sex hormone binding. 108
Oestrogen 447
Testosterone  0.40

Am 59 years old. Am on 100 sandrena gel daily and 200 utrogesteton.  Have been for 5 years. Was currently on everol patch and 100 utrogesteron just changed to patch .   I feel so tired.  Anxiety irritability is very high and I feel really depressed brain fog bad.    No motivation…. Just feel like sleeping and hard to concentrate! 
Do you think I should up my oestrogen?   The Newson Clinc had advised to do so but both my Gp and consultant advised me not to!   My GP won’t prescribe a hugh level over 100 😞. Thank you

[CLKD]

When did U speak to the Newson Clinic?  Surely a letter would be sent to your GP with prescribing advice ..........  I would have expected the results to be included in the blood test request! 

Which speciality is the Consultant advised you not to up the oestrogen?  If it's a Gynae then they often don't know much more than GPs seem to .   . And GPs don't seem to want to prescribe more than NICE guidelines advise.  Same with thyroid function .......  which leads me to ask:

Have U had thyroid function and VitD Blood tests recently? 

Because hormones rise and fall blood tests can be reliably un-reliable.  Also HRT can be helpful unless hormones rise and fall ........ a bit Trial and Error!

Some find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use. 

[Lilliejo]

Thank you… newson clinic did a full letter to my Gp to up my hrt to 120 and a blood test but the Gp refused .  So I went to a private consultant who specialises on  menopause who didn’t agree with upping my hrt.   Had blood tests done  . Paid £250 for hrt review…. £260 for blood tests and now a further need another £200 to discuss my results!  Which I can’t afford at the moment. Comparing to the range guidelines I think my results are low. 

[CLKD]

That's awful.

If Newson Clinic sent a letter to your GP I would contact them to explain that your GP won't prescribe on their advice.  However, many NHS GPs won't if a patient has gone privately  . 

But Newson Clinic need to be aware .   Why did you go to another Consultant?  Was there a gap of years between advice from Louise Newson and the other Consultant? 

So so frustrating 

[joziel]

I'm with Newson and can tell you what my doctor there said about bloods when I asked...

She said most women need estrogen to be between 400-600 to feel better and be symptom-free. She also said some women need it to be as high as 1000 and, if that's what they need, it's fine. The minimum for bones etc is 350.

So you should be fine to increase. You might also need to increase your utrogestan if you increase estrogen over 75-100 (there is some debate about when exactly we need to increase it, but def over 100). Ie - you might need 2x 100mgs continuously or 300mg sequentially.

[Suziemc]

I had blood tests in November, done by my GP as part of an overall health check. I was 59 at the time, 10 yrs post meno and on 3 pumps oestrogel and 1 Utrogestan tablet daily for ten months at the time (I came late to HRT)

My results were all classed as in the normal range (the shbg and Testosterone results showed what 'normal' is):

Oestradiol level - 212 pmol/L
SHBG - 40.4 nmol/L (normal range 23.6-110.6)
Testosterone  - 0.4 nmol/L (normal range 0.2 - 1.3)

Not sure if the measurements used are different with Newson but thought I'd share mine in case it gave you anything to compare to.

[Bungo]

I had blood tests in November, done by my GP as part of an overall health check. I was 59 at the time, 10 yrs post meno and on 3 pumps oestrogel and 1 Utrogestan tablet daily for ten months at the time (I came late to HRT)

My results were all classed as in the normal range (the shbg and Testosterone results showed what 'normal' is):

Oestradiol level - 212 pmol/L
SHBG - 40.4 nmol/L (normal range 23.6-110.6)
Testosterone  - 0.4 nmol/L (normal range 0.2 - 1.3)

Not sure if the measurements used are different with Newson but thought I'd share mine in case it gave you anything to compare to.

Was this after not using the gel for 24 hours? Am on 2.5 pumps and oestrodial  levels only 159 so maybe I'm not absorbing as well as could be

[Suziemc]

[/quote]
Was this after not using the gel for 24 hours? Am on 2.5 pumps and oestrodial  levels only 159 so maybe I'm not absorbing as well as could be
[/quote]

I didn't stop using the gel ahead of the blood tests, so it was my 'normal' level that would have been measured. The NHS results didn't give a normal range for oestradiol levels and I didn't think to ask my GP what they are.

[joziel]

NHS will tell you 50 is "normal" for post-menopausal women. They don't have "normal" for HRT levels.

The minimum you need to prevent osteoporosis and cardio protection is 350pmol - as per several different doctors I've spoken to over the last year. (Meno specialists.)